Inception
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: Inception: the unauthorized novel based on the movie by Christopher Nolan
1. Chapter 1

**I normally do A&A fics, but I thought I might give writing the novel form of the movie. I can't believe there is not a novel of "Inception". I tried reading "The Dark Knight Rises" novel. It put me in a coma. **

**I hope I'll do better then the guy who wrote "TDKR" novel. **

**Inception: the unauthorized novel based on the movie by Christopher Nolan**

**I do not own "Inception". **

1.

~ Cobb felt the ocean wash his body to shore. He was so exhausted and abused by the waves, he let the water take him where it wanted. He felt the thick sand of the beach crush under his hands as the water tickled his face.

He couldn't remember how he got here. How he had landed in this place, or where this place was. He opened his eyes as the tide pulled out. The waters leaving his body prone in the hot sun.

He heard children laughing.

'_No, not again._' he thought as his fingers tried to reach out and touch the illusion of a little boy and girl playing on the beach. Building sand castles and ignoring him. Their backs turned so he couldn't see their faces. Cobb put his head down into the waters again as the tide came back for him.

'_Those aren't my children._' he thought bitterly as he let the surf rush over him again. The power of the tide threatening to pull him back out to sea as it's plaything.

~ Cobb didn't feel the poke on his back with a rifle. One of the guards had discovered him, and thought him dead. A body that washed up on this private beach next to the opulent palace. The guard looked over his body skeptically. His uniform indicating he was private security and not real law enforcement. He didn't want to touch the dead man, and instead used the muzzle of his riffle to flip the back of Cobb's jacket over. The guard wasn't shocked to see the hand gun concealed in the back of the man's pants.

The guard barked at his partner to come and help. A solitary figure climbed down the rocky edges next to an exquisite Japanese palace. It's roof and spires perfect and untouched by time or any kind of hardship.

Not even in dreams could such a palace exist.

~ Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Who was he waiting for? Saito didn't remember anymore.

An aged man sat hunched in an impressive dinning room. No other guests sat with him despite the fact the table could accommodate many. Saito was totally alone. His palace was pristine, a showplace, yet nothing but his staff stirred in it's halls. This place was a tomb and he could barely be called alive.

The old man was alone in his waiting. Trying to remember, who he was waiting for.

"Sir?" His butler whispered in his ear. Saito's natural language slipping from the servant's lips as he described a man who was found alive on the beach.

Saito perked his head up as if he had been dozing.

"He was delirious, but asking for you by name." The butler said. Saito showed only slight interest, but his staff knew him well enough to tell his moods.

"Show him." The butler huffed at the guard.

The guard jumped forward and respectfully placed a weathered and waterlogged hand gun on the table.

"He was carrying nothing but this." The guard said. Afraid to look at the ancient man. "And this." he added as he carefully place a small, metal top next to the weapon.

'_Was this man dangerous?_' The old man scoffed at the idea. '_I am older then time by now. Let this man come. Let him do what he wishes._'

Saito blinked his eyes and the butler told the guard to bring the interloper into the dinning room.

Saito could hear the two guards dragging the limp body of the intruder to his chair.

The guards placing him across the expansive table so the two men would not be too close.

The ancient man was resting his hand over the gun as if it were a precious gem. He watched as the stranger ate slowly of the meal given to him. Saito's staff showing this man the curtsey of food.

The intruder was younger. His clothing, hands and face, beaten and weathered by the sea he had just been pulled out of. He looked in no shape to do anyone any harm.

Still, the old man rested his wrinkled hand on the gun that had been taken off the uninvited guest.

"Are you here to kill me?" Saito asked in a weak and shaky voice. He hadn't used his own voice in so long, he had forgotten what it sounded like.

The strange man stopped eating. He looked up at Saito slowly.

The ancient man lost his train of thought then. His memory had become faded and thread bare. So many years locked in this perfect palace by the sea. So long trapped here with no way out.

His aged hands found the metal top. A child's toy. One that struck a memory.

"I know what this is." Saito said as his fingers plucked the top up and turned it over. "I've seen one before. Many, many years ago."

With a simple flick of his fingers, he sent the top to spinning. It danced lazy circles on the flawless table. Spinning effortlessly.

"It belonged to a man I once met in a half remembered dream." Saito recalled. His words finding a poetic tone in his old age.

"A man, possessed of some radical notions." he added as with milky, half blind eyes, he looked at his guest.

~ "What is the most resilient parasite?" Cobb asked the refined Japanese businessman.

A much younger Saito rolled his eyes as he ate his light dinner. He had heard a pitch like this a thousand times before. He was in the business of making money. Everyday, every moment, he had to pretend to be interested in some young man's new ideas. Nothing impressed him anymore.

"A bacteria? A virus?" Cobb went on casually. The American man nodded to Saito's dinner plate. "An intestinal worm?"

Saito stopped chewing at the idea. Such an idea, now growing in his brain, made him lose his appetite.

A cough came from Mr. Cobb's associate, Arthur.  
"Um, what Mr. Cobb is trying to say-" The professional looking young man said eagerly.

"An idea." Cobb cut his friend off. "Resilient, high contagious. Once an idea is taken hold in the brain, it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood? That sticks." Cobb said. His careful hands moving over his brow. "Right there somewhere."

Saito huffed and tried to summon his appetite back after the idea of intestinal worms.

The dinning room was the same. Beautiful and flawless. Yet, it was different. Saito could hear guests at his party mingling and laughing just outside the door. This place was more alive. This place was more real.

"For someone like _you_ to come and steal?" the businessman asked as Cobb confidently drank the expensive red wine Saito had his staff open for them.

"Yes." Arthur said hurriedly as if trying to give a sales pitch. "In the dream state, your conscious defenses are lowered and that makes your _thoughts_ vulnerable to theft. It's called extraction."

Saito flicked his eyes to Mr. Cobb's associate. Arthur was dressed more appropriately for the party them Mr. Cobb. The dark haired man was in a careful tuxedo and not just a black tie and jacket like his companion. He found Arthur more agreeable. A young man, yet he was more about the nuts and bolts of any project. He didn't waste Saito's time with radical notions.

"Mr. Saito, we can train your subconscious to defend itself from even the most skilled extractor." Cobb said confidently.

"How can you do that?" Saito asked lazily.

'_Here it comes,_' the businessman thought '_the big pitch_.'

"Because, I _am_ the most skilled extractor." Cobb said simply. "I know how to search your mind and find your secrets, I know the tricks. I can teach them to you so that even when you're asleep; your defense is never down."

Cobb carelessly took his wine glass and put on his indifferent facade. Letting Saito know it didn't matter if he was hired.  
"Look, if you want my help; you're going to have to be completely open with me. I have to know my way around your thoughts better then your wife, better then your therapist, better then anyone."

Cobb stood and casually moved around the marvelous dinning room. Waving the light crystal holding the expensive wine around like he did this all the time.

"If this is a dream, and you have a safe full of secrets, I need to know what's in that safe." Cobb told the businessman.

Saito couldn't help but think about the high tech safe he had installed in this very room. A hidden wall panel covering it from view. A place he could hide his corporate documents while he was here.

"In order for this all to work; you need to completely let me in." Cobb said finishing up the sales pitch.

Saito smiled and touched the fine linen napkin to his lips. He had heard enough. Cobb and his associate, were impressive. They were everything his research has promised them to be.

"Enjoy your evening gentleman." The businessman man said standing up.

Saito was pleased to see Arthur was well mannered enough to stand respectfully as well.

"I'll consider your proposal." Saito added as he left them to return to his party. His staff opening the sliding walls to reveal a large room decorated with charming people in beautiful clothing.

~ Arthur and Cobb were left alone and they stood silently in the beautiful dinning room.  
"He knows." Arthur said pessimistically to Cobb.

Cobb scowled and set his glass down on the flawless table.

The room started to rumble slightly. Not an earth quake or tremor. It felt like the palace had hit a bout of turbulence. As if they were on an airplane and it was just shaking enough to make someone nervous.

Arthur looked worriedly up at the intricate and artistic light fixtures as they clinked and swayed dangerously overhead.

"What's going on up there?" He grumbled. Obviously not pleased things were not going well.

Cobb wasn't deterred however. He checked his watch and quickly calculated how much time they had before the eventual collapse.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

~ Time sped up.

A mob of angry men, complete with bats and menacing home made weapons, marched relentlessly down the streets. Their shouts and cries becoming more dangerous as a car suddenly blew up next to the horde. The explosion not even slowing them down as tall flames licked the air.

Even as the loud rioters advanced, Cobb slept peacefully. His body was seated in an ordinary wooden chair as he seemed untouched by the distress outside.

Inside the seedy apartment, a nervous looking man paced from window to window. Watching the advancement of the riots.

'_They're getting closer._' Nash thought anxiously.

He went into the bedroom and peered over the sleeping body of Mr. Saito. The businessman looked out of place in the cheap furnishing and downright dingy look of the apartment.

Nash check the businessman's vitals before another explosion tore his attention away from ensuring Saito stayed asleep.

He nervously went to the window again. He could see the rioters now. Marching down the street. They had found him. It was only a matter of time now. He was sweating from feeling so worried now. This part of the job never got any easier for him. Cobb had convinced him do this and Nash was now regretting it.

The skittish man checked on Arthur next. Nash never cared to much for Arthur and vise versa. Arthur was too much of a perfectionist. Everything had to be right to the last detail or Arthur wouldn't accept it. Their Point Man needed to realize that things didn't have to be perfect. Good enough, was always good enough.

Nash watched Arthur's eyes bat back and forth under his closed eye lids.

That was good. I meant the Point Man was deeply under and dreaming.

Nash went back to Cobb and checked his watch. The sleeping Extractor not noticing the rough hands that pulled on his writs to see how much time they had.

_Time slowed._

~ Cobb and Arthur strolled along the large, widow's walk style balcony where a few of the guests had retreated to take in the view of the night sky and ocean.

The two elegantly dressed men hoped none of the guests noticed the palace giving a sudden shake so hard; the tiles on the roof clattered off.

Arthur looked around in frustration. He hated it when things went wrong.

"Saito knows." the Point Man said to Cobb. "He's playing with us."

Cobb had to listen to him on this. Arthur stopped walking and Cobb ceased his gait as well.  
"Doesn't matter." Cobb said reassuringly. "I can get it here trust me."

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"The information is in the safe. He looked right at it when I mention secrets." Cobb said confidently.

Arthur nodded his head. Cobb wasn't lying when he bragged about being the most skilled extractor. Arthur had never seen him fail at a mission. If there were secrets to be found, Cobb was the man to discover them.

The Point Man saw her before the Extractor did. Another complication. Another thing to go wrong.  
"What's she doing here?" Arthur grumbled nodding the one of the guests behind the Extractor.

Cobb turned and looked down Arthur's eye line.

A solitary figure was looking out across the balcony. Not at the stars, but at the cold sea below.

Cobb felt his heart skip a beat, but he maintained his composure.

"Just go back to the room. I'll take care of this." Cobb whispered as he slipped away from his associate.

Arthur had his doubts.

"Just make sure you do, we're here to work." The Point Man growled.

Arthur shook his head and left the rooftop balcony. His mind fuming over this irritating interruption.

Cobb approached the finely dressed woman as if they were strangers. His mind fumbling over what he would say to her. He said nothing as he collectivly stood a little behind her.

The sophisticated lady in the richly sequined dressed noticed him, but remained just as aloof as the Extractor.

"If I jump," She said carelessly. "Whould I survive?"

Cobb played her little game. It was as good as small talk as any. He could feel her eyes on him as he looked at the sea breaking on the hard rocks below.

"Clean dive, maybe." he admitted. He didn't like to think about this pretty lady jumping off the ledge onto the rocks below.

_'you're waiting for a train.'_

"Mal what are you doing here?" Cobb said turning to her. Her eyes like pools of water that treathend to drown him.

"I thought you might be missing me." She teased. Her voice flirting and almost like the young woman he had first met. Back when things were so much less complicated.

"You know that I am." Cobb whispered. It wasn't a lie. Every day he missed this strange beauty. "I can't... I cant trust you anymore." The Extractor admitted sadly.

"So what?" Mal challenged him. Her eyes no longer teasing, but flashing with a certain ire of danger.

~ Like Odysseus being lead astray by the sirens, he followed Mal back into the palace. Arthur had ever reason to worry over Cobb and Mal. How easy it was for the Extractor to be diverted by this woman.

They found themselves in a secluded room. Still on the top most floor. A necessary arrangement for Cobb's plans. His reasons for being here.

The Extractor stayed away from her. His gaze at the window, and more importantly, the guard that patrolled the palace grounds. The lady in the sequined dress looked over the handsome adornments of the room as if she were bored.

"Looks like Arthur's taste." She mused unimpressed. Her body roaming over the room like a cat in it's natural territory.

"Actually, the subject is partial to post war British painters." Cobb lied. Of course this was Arthur's taste. The Point Man's personality was literally written on the walls with an ugly painting only the well cultured would appreciate.  
"Please, have seat." Cobb said politely. He didn't glance at the graceful lady as she lazily looked at a comfortable looking chair and did as he asked.

The Extractor slipped on black gloves as he readied a thick nylon cable. His fine eyes darting back to the guard that was leaving the beach and wouldn't be around again for a while.

'_Now or never._' Cobb thought as he stalked over to where Mal was seated. The lady sitting politely in the chair tried to get him to glance her way, but for once, he ignored the siren's call.

His well practiced hands were tying a secure knot to the leg of her chair. With her added weight, it would do for what he needed to accomplish.

"Tell me," She whispered seductively. "Do the children miss me?"

Cobb couldn't help himself. He finished the knot and found his hands was suddenly on her ankle. Her flesh so real beneath the silk stocking. His fingers wanting to roam up her calf, her leg. His mind wanting to forget the mission and surrender to this temptress.

But her words had a painful sting to them. He didn't like to think about his children.  
"I can't imagine." he breathed. He ignored those burning eyes of hers as he backed away to the window and opened it. The strong cable in his hands as he prepared to make his unconventional exit.  
"What are you doing?" she asked as she watched him with mild interest.

"Just getting some fresh air." Cobb teased. He felt younger some how as the the adrenaline rushed in his body at the sight of the drop below. The line was secure and he skillfully stepped out onto the ledge.

"Stay where you are Mal." He ordered politely as he lowered his body out the window to the floor below. The line catching and the Extractor gracefully touching on the window ledge neatly before pushing off and touching on the window below it.

He saw the window leading into the kitchen. It was empty, just as he had planned.

Cobb didn't see the faint smile that flighted on Mal's face as he left out the window. Her chair was suddenly empty and her presence in the room; gone with no evidence that she had ever been there at all. It was as if the lady in the sequined dress were nothing more then a specter. Something less then a shadow.

The loss of of her body weight to the chair was felt immediately by the Extractor. The chair was recklessly pulled to the window. If the high ledge of the window frame hadn't caught it, Cobb would have plunged to the rocks below.

_'I'm going to jump and you're coming with me.' _

Cobb felt his heart race wildly as he was dropped two floors below his planed stop.

"God dammit!" he growled under his breath. He knew right away what happened. He should have know better then to trust her.

He steeled his resolve and planted his feet on the exterior wall of the palace and began his vertical climb.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

~ Cobb touched on the window ledge and peered into the empty kitchen. With expert skills, he cut out a pane of glass and silently stole inside the more restricted areas of Saito's palace.

We moved quickly to the main room. A showplace for Saito to display his collections of ancient Japanese artifacts. The businessman never having gone on a dig himself, but obtaining them from museums and other collections the way a pirate would.

For men like Saito, nothing was beyond their reach.

Cobb emerged from the shadows. He spied the offish guard standing by the main stairwell and aimed his side arm at him. The silencer working perfectly as barely a puff of noise could be heard. The real danger was the noise of a body falling to the floor, and alerting the other guards.

Quickly, Cobb slid under the fallen guard and neatly caught him. Breaking his fall and muffling the sound.

The Extractor wasn't out of the woods yet. He had to remove a few more guards from the main room. Each of them falling heavily in his arms as Cobb cleared a silent and efficient path to the dinning room.

He walked assuredly to the elaborate dinning room and slid the doors open as quietly as he could. If he was caught, he had only to pretend to be lost. Time was running out, he couldn't afford to get caught.

He went to the hidden panel. A neat trick to hide things as a safe was cleverly concealed there. With light fingers, Cobb ticked away the combination. His hands sensing the click of the lock as tumblers fell away.

He turned the lever and was rewarded with a simple manilla envelope.

Cobb was quick to place the envelope in his breast pocket. Suddenly, the lights burst on and a voice barked.

"Turn around."

Saito was calm and self possessed as Cobb's anxiety caused him to pull his side arm at the interruption.

Saito looked neither frightened or impressed at the sight of Cobb's weapon trained on him.

Next to the businessman stood the pretty lady in a heavily sequined dress.

Mal.

"The gun, Dom." Mal said casually. A small Beretta in her hands. The barrel pointed right at the Extractor.

Cobb moved away from the safe. His mind racing over what to do next as his breathing picked up.

This was bad. He might still have a chance to escape. He was still armed and Saito wasn't foolish enough to get shot over some papers.

Arthur should have taken care of Saito. Kept him distracted. Kept the guard distracted. Something must have happened to the Extractor's associate.

As if summoned, two guards drug the Point Man in. Arthur was resisting valiantly. An deep scowl on his face as the Point Man did not look at all happy to have been caught.

Robotic like, Mal turned her gun on Arthur. Never once moving those deep eyes of hers off Cobb.

"Please?" Mal said in a child like voice.

Arthur gave Cobb a knowing look. A slight shake of the head. They were caught, and they knew it.

Cobb had no choice. Mal was deadly. He engaged the safety and showed he was willing to surrender his weapon. He slid the piece down the large, flawless dinning room table.

"Now the envelope, Mr. Cobb!" Saito barked. He looked angry as Cobb stalled for more time.

"Did she tell you?" The Extractor asked nodding to Mal. "Or, have you known all along?"

He placed the stolen envelope from the safe onto the table. Never taking his eyes off Mal.

"That your here to steal from me?" Saito said spitefully. "Or, that we're actually asleep?"

Cobb felt his blood run cold as the businessman's eyes dance brightly.  
"I want to know the name of your employer." Saito demanded.

Mal pulled beck the hammer on her small caliber gun. The barrel aimed right at Arthur.

It was almost laughable.

"Ah, there's no use threatening him in dream? Is there?" Cobb pointed out.

"That depends on what you're threatening." Mal said in a catty voice. "Killing him will just wake him up."

Cobb knew it was going to happen.  
"But pain?" Mal added. Her words just as hurtful as her deeds. She lowered her arm and didn't hesitate to fire a round into Arthur's leg.

The Point Man screamed and almost collapsed on the floor.

Cobb blinked back a sudden wave of self loathing. He was sure to hear about this from Arthur later.

"Pain is in the mind." Mal told him. "And judging by the decorum, we're in your mind. Aren't we, Arthur?"

Arthur had controlled his screaming by now. The two guards holding him up as he glared helplessly at his attacker. The lady in the sequined dress was moving to his other leg. Her gun held out and ready to shoot his other leg.

Cobb couldn't allow them to torture Arthur. Mal had been right that he would experience a great deal of pain before waking up.

He had to act.

Recklessly, he made a dive for his gun on the table and shot his friend in the head.

Arthur, crumbled to the ground as the palace started to groan. The Point Man was dead as Mal looked back at Cobb in shock.

~ Arthur woke up.

~ The palace groaned again and the ceiling started to tumbled down on the once immaculate dinning room.

Cobb rolled off the table and onto the floor as the palace shook violently.

~ For a second, Arthur sat there in the tatty, run down apartment. His memories coming back to him as he realized where he was and what was happening.

With swift, well practiced movement's, he ripped out his line and was on his feet. The metal brief case in his hand.

"What are you doing? It's too soon!" Nash almost screamed. He was sweating and looking very scared.

"I know." Arthur said as he let a line slack from the mysterious case. "The dream's collapsing. I'm going to try and keep Saito under a little longer. We're almost there."

~ Cobb was fighting his way past guards that were springing out of dark corners. The palace falling down around him as it groaned and threatened to collapse at any second.

The Extractor was well briefed on the palace and all it's little traps he could use to escape the guards. The falling beams, arches and even statues only helped him to escape.

In the once opulent dinning room, Mal lazily retrieved the envelope for Mr. Saito. The businessman not able to keep his balance in the shifting world of the palace that was crumbling like a sand castle.

Saito took it from her greedily.

"He was close." Mal told him. Her voice pleased the Extractor had almost got the information. "Very close." She added.

Saito tore open the envelope to reveal nothing but blank pieces of paper.

The businessman flew into a rage. Cobb wasn't close. Cobb managed to extract the information.

"Get him!" He shouted to his guards as the palace started to fall apart. The businessman paying no attention to the self satisfied smirk on Mal's face.

In a relatively safe place, Cobb pulled free the real envelope. He didn't have much time. Nash wasn't too imaginative with his paradoxes and Cobb wouldn't be hidden here for long. If the guards didn't get him, the collapsing palace would. It was falling apart quicker every second.

He callously ripped oven the envelope to reveal classified documents Saito wanted no one to see. With a practiced eye, the Extractor looked over key words and dates. Things his employer would want. He didn't have much time as the projections of Saito guards finally found him and started shooting at him.

As the magnificent dinning room fell apart, Saito looked worriedly around him. Clearly, he was worried this might not be a dream after all.

~ The Point Man was in the shabby bedroom with the sleeping businessman. Mr. Saito stirring awake as Arthur opened the metal case he was never without. Inside the case was a complex array of machinery and chemicals that no one could explain how exactly it worked.

The Point Man seemed to know what he was doing, as he increased Saito's dosage. The businessman moved and tried to wake up as Arthur passed a worried look over him.

"This isn't going to work. Wake him up." The Point Man barked at Nash. The nervous, sweating man returning to where Cobb sat sleeping on that ordinary chair.

Nash shook him roughly.

~ Saito's palace was crumbling. It's once strong beams, breaking apart as the the entire building shook violently. Everywhere, glass was breaking over expensive display cases and part of the palace were falling on the guards. Narrowly missing the Extractor.

Cobb and the guards engaged in gun battle as the Extractor could feel he was begin pulled out of the dream.

He felt the slap Nash or Arthur must have given him. A slap that wouldn't have hurt him normally, but in this world; it knocked him to the floor.

Saito couldn't run or hid from the dinning room's roof finally falling on him. Killing him instantly as he woke up in the shabby apartment. Arthur was kneeling by his bedside. Cobb's associate, who had impressed Saito so much, looking intently over some metal briefcase.

The business man remained remarkably calm as he collected himself. Playing possum as the impressive young man from dinner seemed to not notice he was awake.

Saito slowly slid his hand under his pillow and felt the reassuring presence of a hand gun there.

"He won't wake!" Nash screamed in a panic as he shook the still sleeping Cobb more violently.

"Give him the kick!" Arthur ordered. His patience with Nash reaching it's tether.

"What?" Nash questioned.

Arthur turned to the sweaty, frightened man.

"Dunk him." The Point Man said before noticing the gun Saito had pointed at him.


End file.
